Engine-cooling system



June 14, 1927. 1,632,583

, L.'P. BARLOW.,

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM File d Dec. so 1926:

Patented June 14, 1927.

future!) STA LESTER- r. BARLOW, 011" DETROIT, 'urcn'rqan; TI

ENGINE-COOLING SYSTEM.

Application filed December 30, 1926.. Serial No. 157,901.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in vapor or steam cooling systems for lnternal combustion engines, such as are used for automotive and other purposes. I I

Serial No.

In my copending application 127,257, filed -August-5, 1926, I have shown, described, and claimed a system in which a chamber is employed through means of which the level of liquids in the cylinder jackets of the engine is automatically regulated. This chamber is connected with the steam or vapor space of the jackets andwith the liquid supply reservoir for the system in such a manner that steam generated in said space may enter the reservoir from said chamber and have a heatingcfiect on the cooling liquids in the reservoir. While this is not a serious objection, especially when the reservoir is of a size sufiicient tohold a relatively large body of water so as to counteract theheating effect of the steam or the water therein, yet it is desirable to prevent steam from entering the-reservoir, and such is'one of the objects'of the invention as set forth inthis present application. To

accomplish this object, I provide a permanent li uid seal in theconnection between theliquid level regulating chamber and the reservoir so as to prevent steam from reaching the reservoir from said chamber.

' ,1 Another object of my present invention is to prevent the cooling liquids which have already entered. the engine "ack'ets from flowing backwards through t e system to has stopped, the motor can be kept Warmer foralonger period than would be possible if the jackets were allowed to drain or empty into saidreservoir when the pump of the' motor' stops, as when the enginev ceases to operate, I Another object-of my invention is to suspend my forcing unit orlpump of the system in the supply reservoir in such a manner as to prevent leakage of water out of I the reservoir through the bearing where the shaft or propelling element of the pump enters the reservoir.

.50 "A still further object of my invention is to dividethe liquids of the supply, one portionbeing adjacent to the pump or forcing means, and the other portion of thesupply' separated from the former by a substantially "the supply tank or reservoir. By retaining these liquids in the jackets after the motor" tight-bulkhead orl partition wall with but two openings through the'same, one an exceedingly small hole at the top of the partition or bulkhead to permit air to .pass between the two sections and a small hole through the lower portion of the partition to .permit a limited flow of water between the sections, thereb reducing to theminimum the escape o liquids by evaporation v through the vents in the reservoir.

Another object of my invention is to eliminate the loss of vapors through the vent of the condenser, and I vent my condenser at the cold .sidedirectly into the' supply tank' or reservoir, thereby removing the ejection effect heretofore caused by the 'condenser fan creating a "draft adjacent to the vent vopening. "Thewgreat ,volume' oflfiait. passing the ventat the cold side of the; condenser has causedconsiderablelossof moisf ture due to absorption and ejection due to the velocity. of ,the ail. pa i g: adjac n the Vent opening... T c ,fi fl s I have eliminated as stated above. The invention consists-further in j the matters hereinafter describedaml li imed'. 1 In the accompanyingfdrawinge j The single figure is adiagrammatic view illustrating an internalQcombustionengine equipped with a vapor. cooling; system embodying the features of my invention.

In'the draw ngy lndicates a water or cylinder jacket of an .internal co'mbus'tion ens gine'; and2, a. steam dome or'space above the liquid level in the jacket; A" condenser 3, which may-be of the usual automobile radia tor type to fit in with present automobile design, is located in front of the engine'with an air circulating fan 4; between them, as shown, A conduit ,5.- conne ctsthe steam space 2 and condenser 3f at their upper ends, so as to convey steam .to the condenser .gduring the operationof. thejsyste m, the; steam being condensed as it passes ,down throu'gh the condenser -to be returned as condensate from the bottom QftheQcOndenser'to the system. i

I The cooling-liquid entities; si angtai t6 supply liquidsto the cylinderj acket 1, without circulatinoiyany of nthe cooling liquids through said aeket. This conduit includes a tank 6 located above asupplyftank orresa I e rvoir'Z; The .tank, 6 is divided .9. partii n M1118 .int twozc ambers 95: 10.,

cated in; the: reservoir? is a positive force a;

pumpll, connected with one of the'movend so that liquids may be supplied to the jacket from said chamber by gravity. The liquid level to be maintained in the jacket 1 is indicated by a, and it will be noted that the tank 6 isso disposed with respect to 'this level that the chamber 9 has portions extending above and below the same. The conduit 12 extends up through the bottom wall of the chamber 9 to approximately the level a to be maintained in the jacket, 50

thatno opportunity is afforded for any of the liquids in the jacket to drain back into the reservoir 7 when the engine is idle, as is the case in the arrangement shown in my copendingapplication as aforesaid.

The chamber 9 has a return connection with the reservoir 7, so as to allow the excess liquids pumped into the chamber. to return to the reservoir 7 without passing through the jacket 1. This return connection in- '30 cludes a substantially U-shapedconduit extending downward from the tank 6 and having one upright leg 14 opening into the chamber 9 and the other leg 15 opening into the chamber 10, the upper ends of these legs extending into their respective chambers so that the overflow liquids may pass from chamber 9 into chamber 10 through the legs of the conduit, as indicated in the drawing. To maintain' a substantially constant liquid level in the jacket 1. as at a for instance, the leg 14 of this U-conduit extends up into the chamber 9 to approximatelythis level so that all liquids in excess of that required for such level will overflow through the conduit into chamber 10, and from thence be delivered back to the reservoir 7' through an outlet conduit 16.

Inasmuch as the levels in the steam space or dome 2 and the chamber 9 will correspond, itis desirable to have the pressuresin these chambers'substantially equal so that there may be a substantially automatic supply of liquids from chamber 9 to jacket 1 to compensate for the evaporation of the liquids in jacket 1, during the steaming action. Due to the possible resistance to the steam entering and passing through the condenser 3 caused by wall friction and capillary attraction, a back pressure will at times-be produced on the surface of the water level in the jacket 1. To balance chambers 2 and 9, I provide a conduit 17 connecting chamber 9 with steam conduit'5 so that the pressures on the levels. in chambers 2 and 9 will be,

maintained the same. With the outlet for between the chamber 9 and the reservoir 7, Y a

so as to prevent the steam in chamber 9 from entering the reservoir 7 to impart heat thereto as is possible in the arrangement shown in my said copending application. Moreover, by preventing steam from entering the reservoir 7, no opportunity is afforded for the steam to escape through the vent of the reservoir and be wasted as in said application.-

To prevent any possibility of the U-tube siphoning into the reservoir 7 and thusbecoming ineflective as a liquid seal, I provide a pipe or conduit 18 connecting the upper end of the chamber 10 with the up er portion of the reservoir 7, so that cham er 10 may vent to the reservoir 7, the latter having a vent 19 to the atmosphere through a cap on the filling neck 20, as shown. Instead of having the outlet conduit 16 and the outlet leg 15 of the U-conduit separate and open- A partition wall or bulkhead 21 divides the reservoir 7 vertically into two compartments having no communication with each other except through two relatively small upper and lower openings 22, 23 in said partition. The filling neck 20 opens into one of these compartments and the condensate from the condenser- 3 is delivered to the other compartment through a suitable conduit 24. This last named compartment contains the pump 11 and has the return consduit 16 and the vent tube 18 opening into the same. At times the condensate entering the pump compartment will be at a hi her temperature than the liquid containe therein, and will increase the temperature of the same. When alcohol is 'used to prevent freezing of the system, these heated liquids will have a tendency to vent ofl:' alcohol va ors. Their escape through vent 19, in this case,.will be restricted to the minimum by the small aperture 22, and thus prevent excessivewaste of the alcohol. The lower opening 23 is larger than the upper opening 22, but still small enough to restrict any rapid circulation of the liquids between the two compartments, therefore retarding the transferring of heat to the filling side of the reservolr.

The lower end of the condenser 3, above the drain 24, is connected by a conduit 25 to the supply tank 7 on its vent side, which is out of the influence of the fan-4 or the flow of air throughthe condenser. Thus the vent fro the condenser is remote from this air, and! no liquids or vapors are drawn out of the vent by such air to reduce the volume of the liquids or vapors in the system as when the vent for the condenser is within the influence of these blasts.

As shown in the drawing, the lower or loop end of the U-conduit extends into the reservoir 7 throu h its, top wall. A relatively small drain ole 26 is provided in this loop endso as to permit'the U-conduit to drain when the reservoir 7 is drained on removing its drain plug 27 so that the entire circuit will be em ty when drained. The

cylinder jackets wi 1 not drain through the 4 of the reservoir 7 to suspend the ump 11 therein. The driving shaft 30 for t e pump extends upward through the top wall of the reservoir 7, and thus permits the provisioniof bearings without the use of packing, inasmuch-as the bearing is always maintained above the maximum level of the water in'the reservoir.

The details of structure and specific arrangement' of parts may I be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines,the combination with a c linder jacket having a steam space above t e same, of a liquidcir'cuit connected with the jacket for feeding liquids thereto, said circuit includin a chamber to regulate the liquidlevel in t e jacket, a supply reservoir for the chamber, and an outlet connection between said chamber and the reservoirand formed to provide a permanent liquid seal between them so as to prevent steam flowing into the reservoir from said chamber.

2. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, t e combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of a circuit whereb a cooling liquid may be continuously circulated without. passing-through said jacket, said circuit including a chamber to regulate the liquid level in t for said chamber, and an out et connection between said chamber and the reservoir and formed to provide a permanent liquid seal between them so as to prevent steam flowing into the reservoir from said chamber.

1 chamber ior the jacket and a supp 3. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of a liquid circuit connected with the jacket for feeding li uids thereto said circuit including a liqui I level re lating y resere jacket, a su ply reservoir voir for said chamber, and a substantially U-shaped conduit forming a permanent liquid seal in the connection between the a chamber and the reservoir to prevent steam ,flowing into the reservoir from said chamber, said conduit having its discharge and return ends'at a' proximately the normal level for the liqui s in the jacket for maintaimng such level and a corresponding level in the chamber. 7 f

4. In a vapor cooling system for internal.

combustion engines, the combination with acylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of a circuit connected with the jacket for feeding liquids thereto, said circuit including a liquid level regulating Y chamber for the jacket and-a supply reservoir for said chamber, and a substantially U-shaped conduit forming a permanent liquid seal in the connection between the chamber' and the reservoir to prevent steam. flowing into the reservoir from said chamber, said conduit havin its discharge and return-ends at approximately the normal level.

for the liquids in the jacketfor maintaining such level and a. corresponding level in the chamber, and means venting the return end of the conduit to the upper portion of the aeservoir to prevent siphoning of thecon;

ult. 5. In a vapor cooling system combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of a liquid circuit connected with J the jacket for feeding 1i circuit including a liqui chamber for the 'a c'ket and'a supply reservoir for the cham er, said reservoir being located below said chamber, and a substantially U-shaped conduit forming a permanent liquid seal in the connection between the chamber and the reservoir, said conduit hav ing its loop end in the reservoir and provided with a relatively small leak aperture so that the conduit may automatically drain through-the reservoir on draining the system. I a 6. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby a cooling li uid may be forcibly and continuously circu ated without passing through said jacket, said circuit inclu ga chamber connected with the jacket for feeding liquids thereto and for maintaining a substantially constant level therein, and' a supply conduit having the chamber at approximately the same level as maintained in the jacket so as to prevent d'laining of the jacket when the engine is 1 e.

. 7. Ina vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above ui'ds thereto, said for internal its discharge end in 100 level re ulating V the same, of means providing a circuit whereby a cooling liquid may be forcibly and at approximately the level to be maintained in said jacket.

8. In a vapor cooling system for lnternal combustion engines, the combination w1th a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of a condenser connected with said steam space, means providing a circuit whereby cooling liquid may be forcibly and continuously circulated without passing through either the condenser or the jacket, a conduit leading from the circuit to the jacket, said circuit including a supply reservoir divided into two compartments by a partition well, said partition wall having restricted upper and lower openings for air and liquids, respectively, an air vent for the system opening into one compartment, a force pump and condensate return from the condenser being in the other compartment.

9. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above thesame, of means connected with the jacket for supplying liquids thereto and also providing a circuit whereby the cooling liquids may be forcibly and continuously circulated without passing through the jacket, said circuit including a supply reservoir connected with the inlet and return ends of the circuit, a pump in said reservoir for forcing liquids through the circuit. and means for suspending the pump in the reservoir with the bearing for the operating member of the pump above the level of the liquid in the reservoir so that no packing is necessary for said bearing.

10. In a vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder having a steam space above the same and a condenser connected to said space, of means for supplying cooling liquids to said jacket, and an atmospheric vent directly connected with the condenser and disposed out of the path of air flow through the condenser so that the passing air will have no ejection or absorption efiect on said vent.

11. In Da vapor cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a cylinder jacket having a steam space above the same and a condenser connected with said space,of means for supplying cooling liquids to the jacket, including a supply reservoir located below the condenser, an atmospheric vent means for the reservoir, and a conduit connecting the lower portion of the condenser above its condensate outlet with the venting means of the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature this 27th day of December, 1926.

. LESTER P. BARLOW. 

